Pre-K teaching times, Nov. 2012

Pre-K Teaching Times

Planning for Successful Read-Alouds

Read-alouds provide great value and power in developing children's language and early literacy skills. Read-alouds support concepts of print, phonological awareness, conversation, vocabulary development, and cognitive development.
Teachers can use many recommendations and strategies to manage an active group of children, but the most important strategy in successfully implementing meaningful read-alouds is planning. Successful read-alouds rely on active engagement of teacher and children. Effective read-alouds can be accomplished when teachers carefully consider the following when choosing high quality books.
Teachers should select books that
are illustrated with bold art work that captures the visual interest of children
reflect the interests of the children (what they already know)
focus on specific literacy skills (rhyming, alphabet recognition, etc.)

offer opportunities to learn new information and new vocabulary
prompt discussion and support asking open-ended questions
provide opportunity for prediction
connect to the children's lives and experiences beyond the classroom
Before beginning a readaloud, the teacher must read the book, prepare open-ended questions, and ensure natural pauses during the story for questions to be asked. Also beforehand, teachers can prepare flashcards to introduce new vocabulary words, characters, or concepts.
When reading, teachers should position themselves where all children can see the book and should alter their tone of voice for various characters.
Teachers should ask the following types of questions to encourage engagement and conversation:

Factual (What animals do you see in the picture?),
Inferential (Why do construction workers wear hard hats?)
Opinion (What do you think about the ending of the story?)
Prediction (What do you think will happen when the doorbell rings?)
Vocabulary (What do you think the word "cafeteria" means?)
Read-alouds that support the development of early literacy skills are successful when teachers spend time purposefully planning and carefully selecting books for reading. Books provide enjoyment and learning opportunities for teachers and children.
Plan, engage, and enjoy the excitement of your children as you select, read, and discuss various books with them. Your read-alouds are building readers of the future.

November 2012
Inside this issue:

Rhyming

2

Integrate Math 2 All Day
Social Studies 3

Showing Your 3 Sensitivity in Your CLASSroom

Take Note

3

Simple Ma-

4

chines at Work

Teacher to

5

Teacher

Coming Soon 7 GELDS

20 Year Cele- 8 bration
Remembering 8 Charles

Rhyming
Rhyming Bingo: Make your own bingo cards using rhyming cards, or buy a set already made.
Rhyming Basket: Place objects in a basket (one object for each child present), and pass the basket around the circle. As each child gets the basket, say a word (such as "fizzers") that rhymes with an object in the basket. They pull the object that rhymes out of the basket ("scissors"). Use any objects,

because the rhyming words do not have to be real words.
Erase the Rhyme: Draw a picture on a dry erase board that includes the following objects: grass, sky, tree, flower, and sun. Then say a word, such as tower and have a child erase what rhymes (flower); erase what rhymes with bee (tree); erase what rhymes with fun (sun). Continue until the whole picture is erased. Draw on a dry erase lap board before the children arrive, so they don't have to wait while you draw.

Integrate Math All Day

Games are effective teaching tools for Pre-K students. Young children cannot sit at a desk all day listening quietly and doing their work. They like frequent activity and a change of pace. Educational games provide these things while helping students learn something in the process. Teachers can use games to teach math skills. "Hands-on" is necessary for all students to actually learn a concept and not just memorize information.
To help young children learn the concept of counting, have students do simple tasks like counting the number of students, boys, and girls in the classroom; the number of balls on the playground; or the number of family members, siblings, and pets they have.
Or introduce math concepts by asking students to count how

many cookies or carrots they have for their snack. The ideas for counting in the classroom are endless and can be as simple or complicated as needed.
"Would you rather have the bowl with four crackers or six? What happens if we mix both together? Do we get more?" Again, the ideas for simple "hands-on" addition and subtraction are endless and can be as simple or complicated as needed.
A measuring tape is another way to present numbers visually: " Which is larger: ten or four?" Practice estimating, measuring, and counting in casual encounters such as center time, meals, and outside time.
Teach children to compare. Collect bottles of various heights, and have the children put them in order from tallest to shortest.

Learning to visually compare size is an important foundation for learning adding, subtracting, fractions, reading charts/graphs, and other important math skills. Use boxes, toys, blocks, or whatever you think would engage the children's interest, and have children rank them by size or quantity.
Children improve their math skills with practice. Select class helpers to pass out crayons, papers, milk, snacks or whatever, and instruct them to pass out a specific number of items for each person. Helping you will provide opportunities for them to interact and to use their basic math and counting skills in a practical setting. Many children learn better and quicker by doing, rather than by being "instructed" in a formal setting.

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Pre-K Teaching Times

Social Studies
Social Studies helps children understand themselves and others in the world. It lays the foundation for being caring, thoughtful, and respectful citizens. This month our focus is on helping children develop an awareness of handicap-

ing conditions and disabilities.
When we teach children about disabilities, everyone benefits. A good way to begin is by reading stories about disabilities so children can begin to think about what it means to have a handicapping condition. Talking openly with children in your class will help dispel misconceptions or fears they may have about children with disabilities. Following are books and activities to get you started.
Books/Activities: Alex Is My Friend (Wheelchair) by Marisabina Russo Someone Special Just Like You (Disabilities) by Tricia Brown Apt. 3 (Blindness) by Ezra Jack Keats Special People Special Ways (Disabilities) by Arlene Maguire

Borrow adaptive equipment for children to explore: wheelchair, crutches, hearing aids, eye glasses, other adaptive devices. (Remind children to always ask permission before using someone's equipment).
Have children put on mittens and try to button their shirts.
Blindfold children and have them use only their sense of smell to identify odors. Dip a cotton ball in honey, lemon, cinnamon, orange juice, vanilla, etc. and place in a small container with lid.
Allow children to share their thoughts about each activity. Encourage them to ask questions so you can respond to any misconceptions or fears they may have.

Showing Your Sensitivity in your CLASSroom

Children in a classroom with a sensitive teacher see teachers as sources of support, reassurance, and guidance. A sensitive teacher helps children feel comfortable sharing their ideas and challenges them academically and socially.
The following can help you become more sensitive in your classroom:
Understand each child's social and

academic functioning and individualize accordingly.
Take time to notice how children are doing in the moment.
Respond to children's academic and emotional needs.
Tune in and respond to children's nonverbal cues.

Listen and respond to children.
Actively encourage children to see you as a source of comfort and support.
In challenging moments, consider the child's perspective.

Take Note

Teachers using Work Sampling Online (WSO) and Work Sampling System (WSS) are required to record observational notes as part of children's documentation. Teachers must remember two primary elements when writing an observational note: 1. It should be unique to the child and 2. It should include what the child did and/or said.

Does the following note meet the two criteria?
"Students tasted 3 different apples and then graphed them on a chart to see which apple had the most "likes" and which had the least. Two of the types tied because they had the same number of likes. We counted the apples and did a oneto-one correspondence along with

the chart to show the numbers."
This note is similar to those written by many teachers. It clearly de-

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scribes a group activity (notice the word "students") but is it unique to a specific child and does it show what that child could do? For example, "we counted" shows a group activity but does not show if that child could count. This is not an appropriate note.
Compare it to this note:
A student said, "Is it time to go outside?" Evan answered, "We don't go out until after music and movement."

This note clearly meets the two criteria in that it is unique to Evan and it recorded what Evan said. By including Evan's language, the teacher can use this as documentation for indicators in Language/Literacy and Mathematical Thinking.
Let's look at one more example:
Simon played in the housekeeping corner with Ethan and Daniella. Simon told Ethan, "You be

the dog, and Daniella, you play the mother. I am the daddy going to work in my office."
In addition to meeting the criteria, this note can be used as appropriate documentation for at least six indicators in the five domains where documentation is required.
Can you identify those six indicators?

Simple Machines at Work

Watch out blocks, here we come! Your entire class, girls and boys alike, will love to explore these simple machines...tools we use to make work easier.
Content Standards:
SD 3c Explore simple machines SD 3d Investigate different types/speeds of motion
These content standards not only give you permission to build and explore but they even encourage car races, weight lifting competitions, race track construction, digging, and building a see-saw!
Inclined Plane

Place one end of a long block on the floor and elevate the other end by laying it on another block. Ask students to identify items in the classroom that might roll down the ramp. Experiment with the level of incline; what happens to the speed of the item rolled? Why?
Experiment with various surfaces to see what surfaces are faster. (carpet, fabric, plastic)
Use scientific terms as you experiment so your students will become budding scientists!
Wheel and Axle
Lead your students on a wheel hunt and find examples of wheels and axles in your building and parking lot.

What makes the axle turn?
Collect dowel rods and cardboard and experiment by building wheels and racing them.
Discuss which go faster: big wheels or small wheels? Why?
Allow students to build their own vehicles and describe each one's uses.

Ask questions like; Why do big trucks have more axles and wheels?

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Pre-K Teaching Times

Simple Machines at Work (continued)

Levers

crum change the ease of lifting? Can your students lift you?!

Everyone has gears in their room. Try using these in a small group setting to experiment with this nifty tool. Bring in a ten speed bike and show gears in action! (Your students would love to see you ride!)

Book List

Gears
Pre-K students like to feel powerful! Construct a lever outside on the playground. Place a box of books on the ground. Allow the students to try to lift it by themselves. Then place the box on the lever and allow them to lift it. How does moving the ful-

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton What is a Wheel and Axle? by Douglas Lloyd Gear Up! by David Glover Cool Tools by Alison Auch Mighty Machines by Shar Levine

Teacher to Teacher

"What props/activities do you use most often during story time to support student engagement and involvement with the reading of books?
Puppets and flannel board pieces are often used, but my favorite is the surprise bag. I have a drawstring bag that holds items from the story I'm reading. I ask students to hold an item and whenever the item is mentioned in the story, they hold it up. I use the surprise bag to hold an item to "set the stage" for a story, (i.e., have an apple in the bag if I'm reading a story about an apple and give clues as to what's in the bag until the students guess it). I also use the phrase...."guess what" before introducing a story to keep the students excited about and anticipating what is coming next. I

wear hats related to the story. I put a large pot on my head when I read Johnny Appleseed; a fancy hat and gloves when I read Fancy Nancy; a firefighter hat for fire safety stories; a baker's hat and apron when I read the Gingerbread Baby; etc.
Paula M Jones
I use a lot of hand puppets, stick puppets, and stuffed animals to tell or read stories. Another way to engage students is to use pictures (cue cards) that prompt students to join in with the reading.
Ms. Hines and Ms. Tillman
There is often a song I find to go with at least one story a week. Students add flannel board pieces to the flannel board as I read the story. This makes it easier for re-

telling the story on their own to their friends during the day.
Victoria M. Hughes
I use hand puppets, felt story board pieces, and actual objects from a story for retelling. During the reading of a story, I may wear a silly hat and/or over-sized glasses. I engage the students during retelling by allowing them to help place felt pieces onto the board and/or by holding actual objects from the story.
Jane B. Massey
I use puppets as props for reading stories to the children.
Shantina Thomas

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We use a lot of puppets during story time and engage students by reenacting certain parts of the story. I pause and ask questions during the reading and encourage students to read familiar parts of the story along with me.
Lindsey Mann
Wear a special hat like an alligator hat when reading There's an Alligator Under My Bed. We wear funny glasses to help us better see the book. Puppets, put eyes on anything I even have eyes glued to an empty crayon box. Draw something as you're reading it that goes along with the book. Example: mix paint as you are reading Mouse Paint. Books need to come alive for children!
Leslie Tucker
We use a variety of props but the ones the children love the best are the ones that they actually make themselves. These are great because they go home with the children, and the children can continue to retell the story to their family.
We also use story box props and flannel board stories. The children love to use props as they dramatize familiar stories.
Bunnie Simons

Jan Musselwhite
Children are amazed at how puppets come to life! So, I use them often. Here is a link to making puppets for your classroom. http:// www.teacherhelp.org/ puppets.htm
Ashley Mims
I most frequently use story wands, story boards with flannel pieces, and story symbols from the" Off to a Good Start" printable resources. If students are familiar with the story, they take turns assisting in manipulating the props as we tell the story as a group.
Ashley B. Kelley
Story wands remind me to pause and discuss stories with my children. Use a paint stick, color it, and then paste a different picture on each stick (picture of the world for setting, star for the main characters, magnifying glass for the conflict, wrench for the solution or ending, heart for feelings). Then make a book out of foam material so the paint sticks slide across, allowing me to show each picture as we discussed the particular focus (setting, characters, etc) about the story.
Amanda Ogletree

story.
Fill water bottles with colored rice and alphabet beads. Students decorated the outside of the bottle with letter stickers. I created a class book and adapted the story to include the students' pictures which makes it fun for the students to "read" along with the story. I made my own felt pieces to retell the story. In small group the students used magnetic letters and magnetic pans with the coconut tree glued to the pan.
Missy Gault

I use a lot of flannel board stories and puppets.
Bobbi Hart
Changing my voice to represent various characters is a big hit. We also have special "word(s)" that we listen for during familiar readings. I remind the students of the special words by creating picture/ vocabulary cards that we discuss before starting the story. When they hear the special word(s) they alert me by shaking a small bell, clapping their hands, etc.

To support student engagement, I use a variety of puppets and felt stories. Students dress up and play the roles of the characters to tell the story in their own words. I did a unit on Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom and used the following props and activities: I created a large magnetic palm tree; the students find the letters to move up the tree. I shake the tree and all the letters fall off. The students find the letters to move back up the tree. The students make shakers to use when telling the

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Pre-K Teaching Times

Coming Soon: New Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS)

For over two decades, the K12 education system has embraced standards-based learning as an integral part of ensuring student success. Recognizing the importance of standardsbased learning, Georgia has served as a pioneer in generating thoughtful and appropriate standards for children at all age levels. Georgia's Early Learning Standards (GELS) and Pre-K Content Standards were developed to improve child outcomes in early care and learning programs and to promote high quality early education programming for all children.
However, recent developments such as the implementation of the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) for K-12 and revision of the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework have

called additional attention to gia Early Learning and

the importance of high quality Development Standards

standards for children's

(GELDS) that are in the

learning and development. final stages of comple-

Georgia has answered this call for higher quality stand-

tion. These standards will take the place of the Georgia Early Learning

Standards (GELS) and

the Pre-K Content

Standards.

Informational webinars

and professional devel-

opment will begin this

spring and implementa-

tion will start next fall in

phases. Watch for im-

portant updates on the

GELDS rollout in this

newsletter and on the

DECAL website. We

look forward to a smooth

transition to this higher

quality set of standards

ards by commissioning a

that will enhance the

year-long analysis of its early learning and develop-

learning standards to deter- ment of children in Geor-

mine their comprehensive- gia's Pre-K Program!

ness and alignment with other documents, such as the If you have questions CCGPS for Kindergarten, the about the GELDS, conHead Start Framework, and tact the Standards CoWork Sampling Online. As a ordinator, Laura Evans, result of this analysis, Geor- at gia has developed a new set Laura.Evans@decal.ga.gov

of standards called the Geor-

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Pre-KPTre-aKchTinegacThimingesTimes

Georgia's Pre-K Program 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SE 754 East Tower Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone: 404-656-5957
For updates from Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ gadeptearlycare or Facebook at www.facebook.com/ brightfromthestart.

Business Taglin

Call the BFTS office and Pre-K Consultant on duty at 404-656-5957. Pre-K Consultant contact information also can be found on the website. www.decal.ga.gov

Please continue to e-mail us your stories about Pre-K to:
20yearsofprek@decal.ga.gov

Remembering Charles

On September 14, 2012 staff at DECAL were deeply saddened to learn that Charles Shepherd had passed away from complications with heart disease. Charles had recently retired (for a second time) after passionately and faithfully working on behalf of children for over three decades...most of those years with Georgia's Pre-K Program. A memorial service celebrating Charles' life was held on Thursday, September 20; the church was filled with

his family, friends, fellow church members, child care providers, and current and former employees of DOE, OSR, and DECAL.